Pet Prescriptions at Costco
Did you know that you can get your pet prescriptions at Costco? Neither did I until my dog Sadie had a second surgery last year.
As you can imagine, her post-surgical pet meds were not cheap. We got the first batch sent home with us from the vet and paid handsomely for it. When I needed a refill, they told me they could call the prescription into CVS.
And then when the Costco in Maine opened near us, I saw this sign about getting pet prescriptions filled at Costco. Sold!
How to get pet prescriptions at Costco
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It seems that getting prescription medicine for dogs and cats at Costco is a little different from other pharmacies. For example, I mentioned that the specialty vet that did Sadie’s surgery was able to call in a prescription to CVS for us. Your vet can call or fax a prescription to Costco but it doesn’t work that way for refills.
Also, unlike human prescriptions, where anyone — even non-Costco members — can use the Costco pharmacy, not so with pets. You’ll need to show your member card along with that paper RX.
Also, you cannot bring your dog along with you on this shopping trip. Costco is not a pet-friendly store — unless your pet is a legit service animal.
Finally, the steps for getting prescription meds for your pet at Costco depends if it is an existing prescription or a new one. Here are the steps you’ll take for each.
Getting a new pet prescription filled
You can get your veterinarian involved in filling a pet prescription at Costco. So, the next time you need medication for your pet, ask your veterinarian for a physical prescription that you can bring to Costco.
Or, see if the vet can call or fax the prescription directly to your local Costco. While humans can easily get prescriptions filled in another state from where they live, I’m not clear if the same applies with veterinarians and pet prescriptions.
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I bring this up because Costco does not have locations in every single state. Or in some states, getting to one may require driving to another state. For instance, when we lived in Eastern Pennsylvania, the closest Costco was across the Delaware River in New Jersey.
Transferring an existing pet prescription to Costco
Here are the steps you’ll take to transfer your pet’s prescription to Costco. One, bring your pet prescription package to your local Costco pharmacy. Two, show your Costco card and the pharmacist will tell you about the medication price. Three, if you like what you hear, then they will help you transfer the Pet RX from your veterinarian.
The pet meds Costco stocks
I was surprised at the breadth of pet meds you can get from the Costco pharmacy. And the variety of categories of those medications. Here they are broken out by category:
Allergy relief
- Apoquel
- Atopica
- Temaril-P
- Budesonide
- Fluticasone
Antibiotics
- Baytril
- Clavacillin
- Clavamox
- Mometamax
- Zeniquin
Anxiety
- Alprazolam
- Clomipramine
- Fluoxetine
- Gabapentin
- Trazodone
Diabetes
- Humulin N
- Lantus
- Levemir
- Prozinc
- Vetsulin
Flea and tick meds
- Bravecto
- Heartgard
- Nexgard
- Simparica
- Simparica Trio
Heartworm
- Heartgard
- Interceptor Plus
- Sentinel
- Simparica Trio
- Tri-HeartPlus
Pain relief and arthritis
- Carprofen
- Carprovet
- Galliprant
- Meloxidyl
- Rimadyl
Other ped meds
- Vetmedin
- Enalapril
- Sildenafil
- Vetoryl
- Levetiracetam
Checking pet prices online ahead of time
Before schlepping to Costco, especially if it’s not easy to get to, I would recommend checking prices online. I just did this with Sadie’s pain medication called Gabapentin. And, oh boy, I couldn’t believe the savings at Costco.
- At CVS, 120 capsules cost $30
- At Costco, 120 capsules costs $10.99
So, when Sadie ran out of Gabapentin, I asked the vet to call in a refill to Costco. It was so easy.
After surgery the veterinary hospital sent Sadie home with a prescription for Trazodone to keep her quiet. They charged us $33 for 40 100-mg pills.
When I needed a refill, I asked for them to use CVS to fill the prescription. We paid $73 for a 100-tablet bottle of 100 mg Trazodone. If I’d gone to Costco, it would have been $11.79. Ouch!
Finally, here’s another medication Sadie takes — Apoquel. It’s an anti-itch medication.
Last spring we got a 100-pill bottle from the vet for $215. If I were to get 100 pills of Apoquel from Costco, it would have cost me $255. So, in this instance, my vet was cheaper.
It just goes to show you how you should research prices for pet prescriptions. Finally, if you don’t live near a Costco, you can always look to see if Chewy has your pet prescriptions at a cheaper price. Right now, new customers to Chewy get a $20 gift card on orders of $49+.
Costco hours
It’s important not to leave filling your pet’s prescription to the last minute, especially if you’re coming up on a holiday or a holiday weekend. That’s because Costco locations in the United States are always closed on most major holidays. Those holidays are:
- Christmas Day
- New Year’s Day
- Easter Sunday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
